Various devices have been employed for the removal of packing material from around shafts such as those found in valves. Typically, these devices have consisted of augers, picks, "corkscrew" shaped devices and other similar implements for cutting, tearing or picking at the packing material which is disposed around a valve shaft. These devices have the disadvantage that they require considerable manipulation in the often limited space in which the valve packing is found.
Typical, for example, of the devices heretofore employed for removing valve packing are the devices described in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,248 to Bushinsky describes a tool for extracting packing from a gland which comprises a curved, pointed shaft adapted to be inserted into the packing material and then twisted to extract the packing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,717 to Johnston, Jr. describes a packing extractor which employs a curved, pointed device to entwine concentrically the valve shaft and be rotated down into the packing material.
Additional patents which describe similar devices for removing packing are U.S. Pat. No. 2,207,661 to Dugan, U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,176 to Webb, and U.S. Pat. No. 919,808 to Bales.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for extracting packing material from around a valve stem or shaft which can easily be manipulated in the restricted area where the packing is found by a single hand operation.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a device for removing packing from around a valve stem which avoids the necessity for complex manipulation of the device and permits a rapid complete and efficient removal of the packing material in a single operation.